Morning Ag Clips logo
  • Subscribe ❯
  • PORTAL ❯
  • LOGIN ❯
  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe to our
    daily email
    ❯
  • Portal Registration❯
  • Login❯
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Morning Ag Clips

  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
Home » Farmland protection key to climate change
LAND USE ... Comments

Farmland protection key to climate change

About 5,800 acres of NY farmland is developed for real estate annually

PUBLISHED ON May 21, 2017

A recent report found that an acre of farmland produces 66 times fewer GHG emissions than an acre of developed land in New York. (lsmadison, Flickr/Creative Commons)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — American Farmland Trust released a new report today titled, Greener Fields: Combatting Climate Change by Keeping Land in Farming in New York, on the role that protecting farmland can have in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and helping New York achieve its goal of reducing GHGs by 80 percent by 2050. The report found that an acre of farmland produces 66 times fewer GHG emissions than an acre of developed land in New York.

Roughly 5,800 acres of farmland in New York are converted to real estate development annually – the equivalent of nearly 600 typical farms. Continuing this trend of lower density real estate development and associated conversion of farmland could add another nine million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) emissions annually.

The Greener Fields report found that if the rate of farmland conversion was reduced by 80 percent by 2050, it could reduce GHG emissions equivalent to taking one million cars off the road.

“Steering new real estate development into cities and villages, and keeping productive land in farming, can play a key role in combatting climate change,” said David Haight, New York State Director for American Farmland Trust. “This report found that keeping farmland in farming is not just good for our ability to grow food and for our economy – it is another important tool for New York to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Recent studies suggest that new development pressures on farmland may increase due to climate change, as rising sea levels threaten to push New York residents further inland. If farmland is not protected, it may be at risk of being paved over by real estate development.

Greener Fields recommends protecting agricultural land while encouraging new real estate development in cities, villages and developed areas as a key strategy for New York to achieve its climate objectives. The report includes actionable steps for farmers, interested citizens, public officials, planners, land trusts, policymakers and researchers.

“Farmers can do even more to reduce emissions and strengthen resilience to severe weather by adopting soil health practices and producing renewable energy in ways compatible with farming,” Haight added.

American Farmland Trust will host a webinar sharing the findings of Greener Fields on June 6, 2017. More information about the webinar and the report can be found at www.farmland.org/greenerfields.

–American Farmland Trust

For more articles out of New York, click here.

Click Here to find out more about your favorite topics

conservation climate issues

Spread the word

Browse More Clips

CVMHA donation funds Vitamin E research

Teens earn 4-H college scholarships

Primary Sidebar

MORE

NEW YORK CLIPS

CCE Madison’s Ag Business Center hosts FarmNet office hours
July 5, 2022
NOFA-NY joins farmers, food co-ops, advocates to urge action on organic priorities
July 5, 2022
CALS professor turns yogurt byproduct into hard seltzer biz
July 5, 2022
Farmers invited to Robotic Milking System Farm Tour
July 5, 2022
Mineral supplementation to improve repro performance
July 5, 2022
  • Trending
  • Latest

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

Next Gen Ag & Conservation Professionals Mentorship Program actively seeking applications
July 5, 2022
Himmelstein Farm in Lebanon permanently protected
July 5, 2022
Nebraska Grazing Conference to be held in August
July 5, 2022
New state law requires VT farmers to report surface water usage
July 3, 2022
Keep summer cattle marketing current
July 3, 2022

Footer

MORNING AG CLIPS

  • Sponsors
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Customer & Technical Support

CONNECT WITH US

  • Like Us on Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TRACK YOUR TRADE

  • Markets & Economy
  • Cattle Updates
  • Dairy News
  • Policy & Politics
  • Corn Alerts

QUICK LINKS

  • Account
  • Portal Membership
  • Invite Your Friends
  • Subscribe to RSS
  • WeatherTrends
  • Just Me, Kate

© 2022 Morning Ag Clips, LLC. All Rights Reserved.